Colored
by Zanah1213
Summary: In this colorless world, it's hard to live for colors...This is what Roxas believes until he meets Axel. AkuRoku Might be rated M for later chapters. AkuRoku, major WIP.
1. Colors Like A Christmas Tree

**Hello~ Zanah1213 here...I suppose I should give you an idea of how this story came to be...:) **

**Needless to say, one of my friends had a key role in this . She loved the drabble I wrote called Colored (Oh, look at that! Same name) and I said I'd continue it for her. This was going to be a one-shot, but well, I'm not very good at that...The plot/ ideas got way too immense to be a plain 'ol one-shot so here we have this chapter, novel length fanfic. I sincerely hope you enjoy it, because it was way too much fun writing~ **

**Disclaimers: I don't own them. None of them. Just the story, which satisfies me for now. **

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><p><strong>Colored<strong>

Roxas ran; his sense of direction was completely messed up, but he kept on running. He knew he needed to get _somewhere_, but at the moment, he couldn't figure out where. His mind raced with thoughts, way too many thoughts; Namine, danger, Axel, running; _too much_ _running_. There had been so much running, from danger and people, for such a long time.

"**AXEL!**"he screamed, still running. His lungs burned, and his throat felt clawed at, because he'd screamed so loudly. Still he knew, even though it was painful to know and better to be ignorant, that there would _be no answer. _The cry echoed through the empty streets, with no response. Because Axel was gone. Namine was gone. His life was gone.

Then he was falling; he had tripped over the bumpy cobblestones of the street. He fell with a grunt, and his body tumbled over and around itself, rolling a few feet before stopping. The blond lay there for a long time, moaning silently, body weakly trying to accept the pain.

No one was there to stop, pause, and maybe think, maybe begin to conceive the idea of helping him. Something wet trickled down his face, which the blond registered weakly. His hand trailed up the side of his face, and he held it above his eyes.

His hand was colored red, flecked with streaks of the crimson blood leaking from a cut above his eyebrow. Roxas winced, his fingers barely scraping at the raw wound, and let his hand fall to the ground, closing his eyes tightly.

He didn't want to think about red, because that color made him think of one thing; that bright, vivid red color of Axel's hair. The pain that accompanied that thought was almost welcome at that point, it was so numbing.

His life was colored black and white now. Where there had been shining colors of red and green, bright colors of yellow and blue, there were now more shades of gray than any real color. Roxas was absolutely sick and tired of everything. He was done.

As he lay there, he remembered. Every unbidden thought he had never wanted to think again pounded in his head, and he curled into a tight ball of pain and misery. There was no one there to save him, and he was alone, sinking in his memories.

His existence did not matter, anyways; it was the colors that did.

* * *

><p><em>"Roxas…" <em>

_ "Yes?" _

_ "What's most important to you?" _

_ "Why do you ask?" _

_ "I want to know more about you." _

_ "Oh. Well, I think…the colors are the most important." _

_ "That's why you search for them, isn't it?" _

_ "Yes, that is exactly why."_

* * *

><p>It was morning over Twilight Town, but it would not have been easy to tell. If one was to stand at the very top of Sunset Hill, and look out over the town, they would see gray fog completely covering the town, like a thick blanket.<p>

If they squinted very hard, and stared at the mist, it would be possible to make out the outline of Twilight Tower, but it would be difficult to tell if it was just something imagined or not.

And if they were to venture into the depths of that town, wander down the empty streets, it would be impossible to find a person who didn't look the same as the next. It was a gray, monochromatic town. It was not like this because of want; it was this way because of force.

Until you happened upon those who sought out the colors that they knew hid in the corners and alleys of the town. There was one particular person who went beyond this.

In this colorless town lived a teenager, about seventeen. His name: _Roxas. _On the verge of adulthood, he was one of those who looked for colors, because he hated living a life like everyone else. But instead of just looking for them, he _made_ something out of them.

He quit school a year early, so he could do what he'd dreamed of; find colors and create art that would express the true beauty of what had been lost. In doing this, he turned his back on the authorities, and had been on the run ever since.

Twilight Town was his latest dwelling, but it was only temporary; he was already planning on leaving to Hollow Bastion by the end of the month. Every move required planning and careful packing, though. But he wasn't alone in his endeavor. Her name was Namine, and as far as he was concerned, she was practically his world. At the moment.

* * *

><p>"It's already six o' clock, Roxas…If you want to get out there while the pickings are still good, then you need to get moving. The colors will be gone before you know…" a soft voice muttered in the ear of a sleeping male. He flinched unconsciously, flexing a foot involuntarily. He pushed it out from under the covers gently, exposing it to the air, and winced, pulling it back in immediately.<p>

"'S too cold, Namine," he mumbled, burying his face in his pillow. Even so, he ran a hand through his blond locks, sighing deeply as he forced himself to wake up. Laughter filled the small apartment room, and Roxas flipped himself over to look up at the ceiling.

"It's never too cold for finding colors, silly," Namine murmured, smiling.

With a huff, Roxas threw himself out of the bed, giving himself a second to brace against the cold, sudden air that chilled him. Namine quickly handed him some clothes; a light gray turtleneck, with faded blue jeans, and a pair of worn sneakers.

Her cheeks were tinged a light pink even though she'd seen Roxas half-naked before. Looking at her out of his peripheral vision, Roxas smiled.

"And last but not least; a hat, to hide those beautiful golden locks, Roxas," Namine said, her smile huge now. Roxas laughed, pulling the proffered hat over his head carefully. He made sure to tuck in every lock of stray hair in, pressing the hat tightly to his head.

"How do I look?" he asked, moving to the mirror to look at his outfit in its completion.

"Just like everybody else, Roxas."

"Perfect. Ok, where's the stu-Oh, thanks, Namine," he started to say, but was cut off when the blond-haired girl handed him a backpack. He shouldered it quickly, and faced Namine. She bit her lip worriedly, and then reached out suddenly to hug him. He flinched, and wrapped his arms around the small girl.

"Don't get in trouble, ok, Roxas?" Namine whispered.

"I never try to; it just _happens_, Namine," Roxas whispered back, pulling away to hold Namine an arms-length away. She smiled weakly; the smile didn't reach the corner of her eyes.

"I know…"

"I'll be fine."

"Of course you will. Now go," Namine said, and that was that. Without another word, and a single wave goodbye, Roxas left the apartment. He walked down the streets, keeping his head low like everybody else, but he was also careful to take not of his surroundings. He was _searching_, after all. But there was no one today; he could see no one who would inspire him to take pencil to paper.

Roxas sighed deeply, pulling his hat closer to his face. He felt like he was being watched, but when he turned around, no one was behind him. Pushing his hands deep into his pockets and keeping his eyes glued to the ground, he kept walking, trying not to look as conspicuous as he felt.

When he was walking across Station Plaza, he saw the man; hood down, his hair caught Roxas' experienced eye immediately. The blonde's eyes popped open and his mouth formed a small 'o' of complete surprise, because the man's hair was the most intriguing color he'd ever seen; _red_. His hair was spiked up almost straight up, wildly, and it seemed unnatural.

Almost instantly, Roxas came to the conclusion that this was no ordinary man. Maybe he was a Seeker as well? That was the name of the people like Roxas; those who sought out colors. Only a Seeker would be this daring, right out in the open. That or this was a complete idiot.

Roxas hoped for the first option, and cautiously approached the man. He had his back to the blond, and was talking intently into a cell phone. Roxas came up to the man just as he was finishing his conversation. It was apparently not a friendly one, by his tone of voice.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you. Just let me do mydamn job. That's what you pay me for," he said into the phone, scowling deeply. Roxas felt a horrible sense of foreboding, but he tried to shove it away. Finally, the man noticed a presence behind him; without turning, he quickly ended the conversation.

"Ah, hold up a sec. It appears someone of possible importance wants to speak to me, _boss_. I'll file a report later on, got it memorized?" he said, and slapped the cell phone shut with a _click_. Then he turned to Roxas, who stifled a gasp.

Close up, he felt overwhelmed suddenly; the man not only had that beautiful red hair, but his eyes…his eyes were a venomous green, and they narrowed slightly as the man looked closer at Roxas. The blond gulped, also noticing two upside down teardrop tattoos on the man's cheeks, just below his eyes. Somehow, Roxas found his tongue again.

"S-sir…Are you a Seeker?" The man's eyes widened and Roxas tensed up suddenly, fearing something bad would happen. Then the man tilted his head sideways, looking confused.

"I don't know what that is, kid. I'm just here on a job…hunt." Roxas' hope deflated suddenly, and he tried not to look absolutely crestfallen.

"Oh…Well, forget I said that, all right?"

"Right. How old are you kid?" the man asked, eyebrow raised. Roxas' stomach dropped.

"Eighteen. Just graduated last month. But I was in Hollow Bastion and just moved here. With my…girlfriend. We're going to the Twilight College when the school year starts up," he lied quickly.

"Oh, well that's good. Ah, forgot to introduce myself. The name's Axel Lume. That's Loo-may, just so you know. Got it memorized?" He tapped the side of his head and Roxas nodded quickly.

"Yeah. My name's…" he paused, and finished with, "…Roxas." He wasn't sure why, but he still felt that foreboding, coupled with a sudden trust in this stranger. Axel grinned.

"Nice name. So, kid, do you have any extra room in your apartment, or are you and your girl like love bunnies or something? 'Cause I need a place to stay while I'm perusing the area."  
>"No! I-I mean…Namine and I aren't like that! But, we do have e-extra room, I guess…."<p>

Axel burst out laughing at Roxas' expression of complete horror, and the blond felt blood rush to his cheeks. He tried to pull his hat down to cover his face, but it didn't go that far down. Axel caught his breath and glanced at the furiously blushing blond, and promptly broke down laughing again. Roxas grit his teeth in annoyance.

"Well, I'm sorry for impeding on your busy schedule, _sir. _I'll be going now. Have a good day," he said stiffly, and turned to walk away. Axel stopped laughing abruptly.

"Hey, hey kid, don't be like that! I was just kidding about you and your girl." Roxas turned around, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh, really? Well, I have to leave anyways, so…Um, thanks for apologizing, though." About to walk away again, he felt a hand on his shoulder, which abruptly sent shivers up his spine, and he flinched away from it instinctively.

"I was serious about needing a place to stay. Is the offer still up?" the redhead asked, eyes pleading to the blond. Roxas felt himself nodding absentmindedly; he dazedly noted that Axel's hand was still on his shoulder, and not liable to moving any time soon, it seemed.

"Y-yeah, Namine shouldn't mind." Axel grinned, clapping the dazed blond on the shoulder.

"Great! Namine, huh? Is that the lucky girl? Seems like she hooked a nice one!" Roxas felt his blush return, but he just smiled at Axel, wondering what he was doing, and worrying about how Namine would react.

* * *

><p>"So…How long are you planning to stay here, Roxas?"<p>

"I…just a year, maybe. If we don't like the school, then Namine and I will leave, move on. It's just what we do."

"Oh, that's cool. So, where do you live?"

"You'll see."

"Fine. Geez. Hm…How long have you and Ms. Namine been dating?"

"We, um…"

"Don't care to disclose that info, eh? Fine, fine, I have my ways."

"…..."

"Anyways…How'd you guys meet?"

"Namine sort of found me, I guess…She said she was looking for the same thing I was…or am. I'm glad she found me though."

"And what would that be? What you look for, I mean."

"No more questions for today."

Axel left it at that, looking slightly disgruntled and leaving a slightly uncomfortable silence between the two of them. Roxas didn't understand the 20 Questions, but he was glad it was quiet now; he was trying to pay attention.

When he found nothing of interest to look at, he found himself trying to discreetly look at Axel sideways. The redhead didn't seem to notice, but Roxas felt like he was doing something forbidden, and tried to stop.

He couldn't help it though; soon he'd memorized every contour and shadow in Axel's high-cheeked face, both of the tattoos, and those eyes. He felt mesmerized by them, and often had to shake his head a little to clear his thoughts. What was wrong with him?

"….Uh, kid, we've been wandering in circles for about ten minutes now. You gonna take me to your apartment so I can see it?"

"Yes, of course! I'm so sorry!" Roxas exclaimed, shaking himself harshly from his daydreams. Axel smirked and put a hand on the blonde's shoulder. Roxas felt the shivers run up his spine, icy fingers playing under his skin.

"It's fine, Roxas! No need to apologize. Really. But uh, how far are we actually, from the apartment?" Axel asked, getting way too close for comfort. Roxas gulped and nodded.

"Ok…Well, we just have to go up Station Heights, and the apartment is about halfway up the hill. We're on the third floor, just so you know for future reference," Roxas said, pushing a hand through his hair hesitantly. He lived on the third floor because one, it was the only room that had been available and two, it was the closest he'd been able to find to the first floor, for easy escape. Axel grinned in acknowledgment.

"Sounds like a good deal. And yet, somehow, we ended up walking all the way to the Sandlot. Why's that?" Axel asked, smirk widening as Roxas looked around wildly. They were indeed in the Sandlot, and Roxas felt the blush creep back onto his face.

"Ah, my bad. Let's hurry up and leave before Seifer and his gang shows up," he said hurriedly, knowing this was the older male's usual hangout. Axel stopped smiling, not recognizing the name, apparently.

"Seifer…? I'll ask later. Lead away, Roxas!" Axel commanded, pointing a finger in a random direction. Roxas grinned, reassured that nothing was wrong.

He found the way easily; it hadn't taken even a day to memorize the twists, turns, and corners of the small town. It was too bad he was going to be leaving in a week or two. He paused once to look up at the sky, still a dull gray, and pursed his lips, releasing a slight sigh. Axel noticed and hesitated only for a second, then continued following the oblivious blond.

"Oh, here we are," Roxas murmured, shoving his numb hands into his pockets, searching for the keys. He felt cold steel, heard a clink, and tightened his fingers around the small keys. Pulling them out, he looked up, noticing Axel a ways off, on his cell phone once more. Roxas hadn't even noticed him walk off and take the sudden call.

"Axel…" he called out softly, not really expecting the redhead to hear; however, it seemed Axel had super hearing or something, and he cocked his head, acknowledging Roxas with a nod. _I need to take this call_, he mouthed. Then he considered for a second, said something into the phone, put a hand over it, and shouted to the waiting blond.

"This is kind of important, so can you wait a second?"

"Yeah, no problem! I'll tell Namine to expect you in a second, and I'll be at the gate when I'm done!" he shouted back to the waiting redhead. Axel nodded and gave him a quick thumbs-up, and turned around to talk into his cell phone again.

Roxas nodded to himself, and pressed the button on the panel at the gate that said 'Strife' on a temporary sticker next to it. It was the name he'd taken, the last name of his older cousin, who'd died while he was young, because of what he believed in.

'_Hello?_' The shaky, crackly voice came from the small speaker, and Roxas sighed happily.

"Nami, it's me. I've got to tell you something, so…can you come unlock the gate?"

'_Roxas! Of course, I'll be right down.' _

"Great."

Namine was at the front door in less than a minute. The petite blond girl was down the steps in a rush and out of the gates in seconds, where she fell into Roxas' arms, smiling.

"Namine, I was only gone for a little…" Roxas said, grinning.

"I got a little worried. I saw over the news that the Police have doubled their searches for you. They fell for the fake lead you left them in Port Royal, but…Oh, Roxas!" She stopped, burying her face further in his shoulder. Roxas attempted to lighten her mood with a grin and a laugh.

"So I'm on the news now? I'm famous! I've always wanted to be famous for being a 'threat' to the government!" Roxas said, and Namine looked up at him, struggling not to smile. Finally, though, the smile broke through her defenses and Roxas grinned as well, glad he'd succeeded.

Realizing how close she was to Roxas all of a sudden, she blushed and pulled away, pushing her hair back from her forehead. She stammered a sudden question.

"I'm glad you're ok, then. But…what were you going to tell me?" Roxas started, remembering that Axel was still just outside the gate, waiting.

"Oh, nothing big. I ran into someone today…He said he needed a place to stay and who was I to say no to him? He's kind of cocky, and he thinks he's really funny, even though he's not. He's a really interesting person, though. And just _wait _'til you see his _hair_! It's amazing! And his eyes…" Roxas trailed off, and Namine glanced at him, a furtive smile on her face.

"Of course, Roxas. Sounds like someone's a little infatuated right now," she murmured, putting a finger to her cheek, thoughtful. Roxas turned to her and shook his head wildly, shocked at the thought.

"No! No, no, no! I just…" He cut off, not allowing himself to make a mistake and say something else wrong. Namine laughed.

"Roxas, I was just kidding! Now, who's this guy you've invited to stay in our apartment?" Her voice dropped to a whisper, and Roxas leaned in. "You do realize we're only going to be here for a week or two right, Roxas? I mean, it's ok to let the guy have the apartment room…" Roxas nodded.

"Yes, that's a good idea. I'll mention it to him later. Ok, I'll go get him." Namine smiled and nodded. Roxas headed for the gate, sticking his head out of it just barely, and saw Axel on the phone still, looking a little agitated.

"Hey, Axel!" he yelled, not noticing Namine start at the name, her eyes widening into huge dish plates. Axel turned, put a hand over his phone, and gave Roxas a questioning look.

"Namine said it was ok for you to stay in our apartment! We have plenty of room!" Axel heaved a relieved sigh, smiling at the blond with his hand still over the phone. Roxas smiled back warmly.

"Great!" Axel yelled. "Got a little worried. So, is your lucky girl down here so I can _finally _meet her?" A small smirk played on Axel's lips as he said that, and Roxas grinned at the playful words.

"Yeah, sure! C'mere!" Axel nodded and said some quick words into his phone once more, and the slapped it shut with a sort of finality. Roxas turned around and grinned at Namine.

"She's right…Nam, what's wrong?" he suddenly asked, noticing Namine's wide-eyed stare. She didn't hear him for a second; then she started and looked at Roxas, surprised.

"I…nothing, Roxas. I guess I'm still a little worried about the news." Roxas looked at the blond girl carefully, and nodded slowly.

"Right. Like I said, there's nothing to worry about. Here, come meet Axel." Namine nodded shakily, and Roxas reached out to take her hand; he felt cold sweat slicking her palms, but said nothing. Pulling her up against him, he grinned at Axel, who'd just walked up to the gate. Axel grinned as well.

"Well hello there, pretty la..." Axel started, and then stopped. Roxas' smile slipped, faltering, as Axel's eyes widened as Namine's had. Axel hastily said something to make up for his mistake.

"Sorry. Got a little stunned at your girl's beauty. Don't worry though, I'm not gonna take her from you," Axel said jokingly. Roxas smiled, but he still felt a little suspicious.

"Well, do you want to see the apartment?" he asked.

"Sure."

"…Roxas, wait. Can I tell you something?" Namine said softly, suddenly. Roxas looked at her, surprised, but nodded.

"Of course."

"In private, please?" she whispered, desperate.

Roxas pulled her aside, giving a sympathetic look at Axel, who nodded, eyes understanding.

"Yes?"

"Don't let him stay. I…Please don't."

"What? Nam, why?" Namine shook her head quickly, eyes shut tight. Then her eyes snapped open suddenly, and she looked at Roxas.

"Never mind. Go ahead and show him the apartment. We should welcome him. He'll pay us money, right?" Roxas was startled at Namine's off behavior.

"Yes, I'll make him pay rent. Ok, Nam?" She nodded slowly, and told him she would be upstairs in her room, sleeping.

"Don't show him the color room," was what she whispered to him, her last words. Roxas nodded; he hadn't been planning on showing him, or even telling him.

"Thank you, Roxas." Then she was gone.

"So, is the lovely lady going up for a beauty nap?"

Roxas turned, feeling light fingers on his shoulder. Axel was smiling at him, but his eyes were dark; something dangerous, malevolent glinting in them. Roxas was caught in them, and he felt a shiver run up his spine, once again. He was very quickly getting tired of this odd feeling in the pit of his stomach.

"Yeah. She gets…nervous when she...meets strangers. I guess I kind of, um, forgot to mention that. Sorry," he said, not finding the right words fast enough. The words were too much of a lie in his mouth. How could he say in the nicest way possible that Namine simply didn't trust Axel? The hand on Roxas' shoulder tightened suddenly, as if detecting the lie, and then loosened almost immediately.

"Nah, it's ok. Not everyone can..._deal _with my obvious beauty." Roxas laughed; the sound, loud and unwanted, startled him. He covered his mouth in shock and tried to come up with the suitable sarcastic remark.

"Ha, right. I bet she was more scared of your over-sized _ego_." Axel laughed.

"Oh, touché, Roxas. Nice one."

They smiled at each other: Roxas' smile was unsure, but completely innocent in feeling, and Axel's was knowing, carefree, but it did not reach his eyes.

"Let's go, finally," Roxas said, sweeping an arm grandly at the apartment building.

"Which floor? Bet I can beat you there," Axel said, an edge of competition coating his voice.

"Oh, really? I bet you don't even know the way. It's the third floor, by the way; I already told you that," Roxas said, eyebrow raised. Axel scoffed.

"Tch, you have short legs, I have long legs; it doesn't matter if I can't find it immediately. Which room is it?" Roxas grinned, eyeing Axel sideways. Then he burst out running, yelling behind him.

"Last door on the right! End of the hallway! But you have to beat me there!" he yelled, grinning at Axel's cry of surprise. Then his grin dropped as he heard shoes pounding against the cement sidewalk; Axel really _could_ run, especially with the added advantage of longer legs. Roxas collided with the entrance roughly and in his haste, fumbled with the doorknob.

He panicked when it didn't open immediately; he slipped in when the door was open just barely wide enough for his small figure. He shoved it back, positive it wouldn't keep the speeding redhead back, but he couldn't help it; instinctively he did it. He raced towards the staircase, and started jumping up them one at a time, when he heard the door slam into the wall with a bang. His efforts increased to two steps at a time.

Up one flight of stairs, with his small lead, Roxas was still going strong; he was used to running, and it was no new thing to him. It wasn't difficult. This was the only time it had ever been fun. Then, on the second flight of steps, he stumbled a little. With a small gasp, he fell forward a little; he caught himself before his face crashed into the marble stairs, but the damage was done. He groaned in his mind when he saw Axel's long legs pass by his face as he staggered back up.

"See ya, blondie!" Axel shouted, skipping up the steps two at a time, like Roxas had been doing. However, he was able to do it much more quickly and efficiently. Roxas grit his teeth and started running again, almost running into the wall again when he tried to change direction and run at the same time.

_Too late, too late. Axel already won. C'mon, Roxas, get over it_, he chanted to himself, but he was still forcing himself to run. Why? Roxas had always been a competitive one, and he loved games. His breathing was too fast, but he pushed himself faster.

Propelling himself from one more wall, he rounded the last corner, seeing the empty hallway where his apartment room was. He knew the race was over, and he should just stop, stop pushing himself so hard. But he saw Axel, still running, and it gave him that extra burst of speed. The next thing he saw was Axel's surprised expression as he passed him, crashing sideways into the door with the momentum of his speed.

He fell to the floor, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. He felt Axel sit beside him, breathing heavily as well. The blond put a hand up to his chest, and winced; for some reason, there was a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. He pulled his knees up to his chest and looked at Axel; the redhead was breathing normally again, and he was peeking at the blond, a small smile on his face.

"I guess you won this time, shortie," he murmured, holding out a hand to the blond. Roxas took Axel's hand and shook it; Axel grinned.

"Don't mock the short people, because then bad things start to happen," Roxas taunted, grinning. He sighed a little; his shoulder was sore from when he crashed into the door, as well.

"Ha, yes, I saw that!" Axel said, his back to the doorway, sitting next to Roxas. Grinning, Roxas stood up and motioned for Axel to stand as well. He pulled out his keys, found the one for the apartment, and pushed it into the keyhole.

Suddenly, before he could turn the key, his vision got blurry, and he swayed on his feet. All of a sudden, he was lightheaded, and he fell to his knees, dazed. Everything seemed to move in slow motion, in that perilous moment; Axel's terrified expression, his lips moving slowly as the blond fell closer to the ground. The sound was muted; Roxas heard nothing, saw everything, and then his vision was winking in and out.

The one thing he heard was Axel's half-whispered cry of concern, before everything truly faded into sublime waves of unconsciousness:

"Roxas! Oh shit…!"

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><p><strong>Cliffhanger! Oh snap! :3 Hopefully I can get the next chapter up soon! Oh, and the titles of each chapter will have some sort of reference to colors. I hope you can figure out what this title is referring to. ;) Thanks so much for reading! <strong>


	2. Jazz Blues

**Hey~ Ok, I'm really in love with this story, and I hope you like it~ I'm just gonna say now that it's really hard to write sometimes, so my updates might be slow and fast. Enjoy~ **

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><p><strong>Colored<strong>

_Roxas please don't…die._

_Hell no…can't die…stressful…work? _

_You don't know…like I do…_

_I...care…much…Kairi…_

_Not…name…longer…Started…life…_

_Bull shit…_

Floating to the surface of consciousness at someone's voice, the blond caught some words and fragments. His eyelids fluttered a little, but would not open; his heartbeat sped up more so at the unrecognizable, but somehow familiar voices. Then he sank under again, and he could've sworn, before he fell under fully, that he heard a sob and a sigh, and felt pressure on both of his hands, one warm and reassuring, the other cold and uncomfortably tight.

_Did you…see…? _

_Eyelids…Closer…waking…_

_Truce…before…wakes up? _

_For…him…_

Then he felt and heard nothing. But he remembered something.

* * *

><p><em>The skies were such a beautiful color of blue. Roxas had felt a little embarrassed earlier that day when his brother had said they were the exact same color as his eyes. He liked the thought, but coming from his older brother, it was weird and awkward. Still, he'd just smiled and nodded, which was easy for him. It was also genuine at the time. <em>

_"C'mon. I want to tell you something, Roxas," his brother had said, his smile sad. The small blond, but a young ten and prone to curiosity, readily agreed to the proposal. Where his smile was big, his brother's was a little more morose. _

_"Where are we going?" was his first question after five minutes of walking. His brother sighed, looked at him, and actually, for real, smiled. Without a word, he grabbed the blond easily and hefted him onto his shoulders. Roxas squirmed a little on his shoulders, embarrassed at the possibility of being seen. _

_"Oof, you're heavy." _

_"Hey!" _

_"Calm down, it's ok." His tone was reassuring, but Roxas frowned and held on tight. _

_"You'll drop me…" _

_"I will never drop you, Roxas." His voice changed suddenly; it was assertive, and very sure._

_"Ok, I believe you."_

_Roxas laughed and leaned down, resting his head against his brother's shoulder. He felt reassured, held there by the one person who'd stuck by him all his life; his mom, gone, his dad, abandoned them, his brother, passed away. Every person he loved ripped from his side at such a young age. Everyone but his brother. _

_They moved in this two-man procession: Roxas would giggle sometimes, tilt his head back dangerously, his brother would gasp, and then steady himself. Eventually though, he had to put Roxas down, and the blond was actually disappointed for a minute or two. _

_"Roxas, we're almost there. I just didn't want to climb up Sunset Hill with a sack of flour on my back," his brother said jokingly. Roxas gasped in offense, and started to chase the older male, who laughed and ran easily up the hill. Warm sunlight, yellow and fading, filled the evening sky as they were running._

_"I'll win this time!" _

_"Oh, we'll see!" _

_Roxas felt the muscles in his legs stretch and pull and he grinned to himself. His brother was giving it his all as well, but Roxas was determined. He pumped his arms continuously, pushing himself forward. He was practically _flying_. _

_"Roxas, wait! You've already won!" his brother called out, his voice far behind. Roxas stopped, glancing casually behind him, and gasped; his brother, collapsed on the ground, back hunched over. Roxas yelled and ran over, terrified. _

_"Are you ok?" he half-screamed, stooping to hug his brother. The older male moaned a little, and slowly, carefully, moved so his legs were under him, and clutched at his right ankle. _

_"It's this damn ankle of mine. Ever since that accident with…" he trailed off, gritting his teeth together as a wave of pain overtook him. Roxas bit his lip at his brother's unmentioned name, and kept his arms around the pained male. _

_"We should go home," he said, worried. His brother shook his head fiercely, and with a grunt, pulled himself up, balancing himself with an arm on Roxas' shoulder, and putting weight on his stronger leg. He moved his arm to be around Roxas, who watched his every movement with anxiety clutching his heart. _

_"Nah. I still need to tell you this. But I need some help, little man." Roxas nodded, lips set in a thin line of determination. _

_Now it was Roxas supporting his brother, and they walked up the hill slowly; Roxas made sure to go extra slow, so his brother was in minimal pain. _

_"Under the fence; I know it's there for our 'safety,' but it blocks the sunset unless we sit on it I'll make sure you don't roll down the hill, 'kay?" _

_"Ok. I know you won't." _

_Settled under the fence, with the dying sunlight beating down on their faces, Roxas turned to his brother, satisfied to see a small smile on his brother's upturned face. His eyes were half-open, and Roxas did the same, basking completely in the sunlight. _

_"Roxas." The name, spoken suddenly, demandingly, alerted Roxas to why they were there. _

_"Yes?" he asked eyes wide open now; cocking his head in his brother's direction, he smiled. Then it slowly faded as he looked at his brother. _

_His brother had his legs pulled up against his chest, and his expression was so somber, Roxas found himself biting his lip again, biting at the tender flesh with anxiety. _

_"I'm going away." Spoken with such a conviction that he'd never seen in his brother before, Roxas didn't understand, at first. Then, it came down on him with a crash and his teeth bit into his lip a little too hard; he winced and cried out when he tasted the blood and felt pain. _

_"Wh-what? Why?" _

_"I can't take care of you. You will live with your cousin Sora, and because of that, you won't even have to change schools. It would be easier than sending you away." _

_"No! Oh, please don't do this! I don't want to lose you too! _Why_!" His brother wouldn't look at him, and Roxas' eyes widened further as he realized something. _

_"It's because of him, isn't it?" he whispered fiercely, eyes narrowed. _

_"No, not at all! Roxas, you have to understand this; I've found myself in a precarious situation, and I cannot, no, will not involve you in it. That's why you're staying with Aerith, who will make sure you get everything you need to be happy in life." Roxas shook his head slowly. _

_"No, no, no. I can't…" He couldn't continue, and his brother sighed deeply, reaching over to pull the sniffling blond in a bear hug. Roxas weakly tried to push away, but moved closer to his brother instead, wiping his tears away furiously. _

_"I'm so sorry. I should've told you earlier, or prevented this. But one thing led to another, and Leon and I are in big trouble now…The Seeke-" Roxas flared up suddenly, cutting his brother off and pulling away from him. _

_"It _is _because of him! I thought you would be with me _forever_! You're just like Mom, and Dad! They left _me_! Ventus was the _only _one who would have stayed! But then, because of _you, _he was taken away! Now you're leaving too! How could you!" Roxas felt the tears streaming down his face, and his nose was runny, but he didn't care. His brother looked at him sideways, his face expressionless. The next words he said practically sealed the deal and ended the argument. _

_"I leave the day after tomorrow. You're going to Sora's tomorrow, so you have to pack your things tonight and in the morning. This is the way it has to be, Roxas." _

_The small blond shook his head, eyes shut tight, and then he shoved himself completely away from his brother. Stumbling up, he slipped under the fence and began running. The familiar strength he felt in his legs was gone, though, and he tripped, colliding with the gravelly ground. _

_He lay there, crying, with boogers and gravel on his face. He wanted to be anywhere but there, and he wanted things to be normal again, to be happy. Ventus, his twin brother, would have never done this to him. Why would _he_…? _

_"V-Ventus…!" his plaintive cry was weak and echoed dully in the approaching night. The sun had already dipped behind the hills and by this time, everyone would be in their houses, eating dinner or playing videogames. Roxas sobbed and pulled himself into a tight ball. _

_Suddenly, hands wrapped around him and pulled him up close to a strong chest, which Roxas struggled against. He whined a little, but he was in pain and the whines subsided slowly. The person, his brother, walked slowly and carefully, pulling the small, almost sleeping boy closer. These were last moments together, brothers who were going to be separated because of forces only one of them understood. The other one just had to be left in the dark. _

* * *

><p><em>Roxas woke up in his bed the next morning and everything felt normal for a split second. Then he felt the bandages on his face, and a tightening in his chest as he remembered the events of the past night. He leaped out of bed, hoping desperately that his brother would be sitting at the table, smiling with his ceramic mug of black coffee (the way he liked it) and he would say that the whole conversation they'd had was a lie, and everything was all right, everything was normal again. <em>

_He hoped for this, but knew that it wouldn't happen. He was right, of course. Instead of his brother, there was a note; bright, neon orange and impossible to miss, Roxas ignored it at first, moving around the kitchen to get a bowl of cereal. The apartment was deathly silent as he moved around, and Roxas felt terribly lonely, like when he'd found out Ventus had died. _

_When his curiosity got too great, and he was seated at the table, he peeked over the top of his bowl, looking at the note carefully. He saw more words on it than a note usually had, and he reached out a hand cautiously, picking it up. It definitely wasn't a note; it was a letter. Written in his brother's neat handwriting, it covered the whole page. Roxas eagerly read the words, and then he knew; this was it. Everything had been true. _

_'_Roxas', _it started, and the blond bit his lip nervously, like he always did when he concentrated on something, and stopped when he felt the small cut from when he'd bitten his lip too hard, barely healed over._ _Then he continued reading: _

_'_Like I told you yesterday, I've found myself in a very, very, bad situation and I have to leave for a while. Do _not _think that I want to leave you purposely; you are very important to me, and it hurts me to leave, more than you know. But I am doing this for your safety. You have to understand that if you were to go with me, you could be hurt, or even killed. I will do my best to return to Twilight Town, and come home so that we can be a family again. But for now, we will have to separate and go our own ways. Don't worry, though; I promise you'll be safe and I'll keep out of trouble. Well, I'll try to. And about Leon…Yes, he's part of the reason I'm leaving, but it's not the only reason. He's important to me too, now.

I think I should explain a little bit about why I'm leaving, but I want you to either destroy this letter or keep it very well hidden, in case someone who should not have it finds it. I have become part of a group, the Seekers, who work against the government, kind of, to help bring back the colors of this world. Twilight Town has yet to be affected by this, but it's only a matter of time. Radiant Gardens has already fallen and their leader, Ansem the Wise, was pronounced dead. However, we've found he has taken a new name and identity, DiZ, and is working with the government to bring power and wealth to himself. It has been believed for a while that darkness reigns in his heart. Now, some of those who stayed in Radiant Garden, now aptly named Hollow Bastion, and who worked undercover for us, discovered some secrets that proved this theory.

It seems that Ansem had a secret laboratory built, where he studied the effects of darkness, many years ago. This was what had been know to the public, but there was more to the story. He had become infested with the darkness, and it devoured his heart. However, he was able to live, like a zombie, almost, with no heart. He acted just like before, and no one realized the difference. It was Leon who found out why he ordered that Radiant Garden no longer be filled with colors, and he ruined the balance of the worlds. His heart, no longer there, had once been allowed to experience the full joy of colors, but without one, he could not feel them or understand them like before. He despised the happiness they gave other people.

Roxas…I've agreed to help Leon because he's important to me. I would help you if you ever needed it, because you're important to me. Sometimes you're even more important than Leon. So, in order to make sure you stay safe and you'll be there for me when I get back, I'm sending you away now so I can go away and help the Seekers. I don't want you to hate me for this, so I'm going to say sorry, again and again. I promise I'll send you letters, whenever it's possible. I left today because every day I stayed would make it harder to leave. You know how to get to Sora's, and if you're not there by the end of the day, Aerith has my permission to call the police.

Stay safe, and always remember the colors.

Love,

Cloud'

_Roxas read the last few words again and again. 'Remember the colors. Love, Cloud. Love…Cloud…Colors…Remember…' They became a messy jumble in his mind, and he held the paper before him with a look of betrayal. _

_A small, perfectly round tear splashed onto the paper, smearing across the name, Cloud. _

* * *

><p>It was painful, coming back to the surface of life after such a long time. For Roxas, however, it was even more painful because he came to short of breath and with burning lungs. He jolted up in the bed he was lying down in, and the springs squeaked loudly. He pulled in quick, short breaths, and slowly, he caught his breath. The room was dim; a glance at the dark curtains told him it was nighttime. He was already on edge with the smell of antiseptic sharp in his nose.<p>

"Roxas? _Roxas! _You're awake!"

Roxas felt dizzy, but he recognized the voice as Axel's, and he sighed weakly. Arms encircled him suddenly, and he winced a little in pain, but felt comforted at the embrace.

"You ok? Your heartbeat kept…jumping around everywhere. And then…" Axel pulled away, holding Roxas an arm's length away, and he looked hesitant. Roxas bit his lip, almost positive of what had happened.

"What?" he whispered, his voice hoarse and weak. Axel's eyes widened.

"Last night. And just now. You screamed. And…you started crying. I thought you were having a nightmare, but the nurse and doctor told me to leave you alone. When you stopped, they said you were just sleeping…I would have been too. You were crying again before you woke up…" Roxas knew exactly why he'd been crying and screaming. He was just embarrassed that Axel had been there to witness it both times. Axel continued without noticing Roxas' embarrassment.

"Namine…had to leave because it was…too much for her, and she was very tired. But I…told myself you needed someone to wake up to." Roxas looked down, a little overwhelmed. This complete _stranger _had stayed by his side to make sure he woke up, and to be there when he did.

"You barely know me, Axel," he said slowly, his words careful. Axel nodded slowly.

"I know, but…it was my fault you got here in the first place."

"No, it's not. It was my own stupidity at agreeing to the race when I knew I had…some chest problems." Axel looked at Roxas carefully, eyes narrowed.

"Roxas, you and I both know that those weren't just _chest problems. _The doctor had a chat with me all about it. Still, I won't bug you about it. You should have told me, though," Axel said, his tone reprimanding all of a sudden. Roxas put his head down again.

"It didn't occur to me at the moment," he said simply. Axel smiled.

"It's ok. I really don't blame you. Now, can we get out of this hospital? For some reason, it smells like…my bathroom when it's clean." Roxas raised an eyebrow, and his tone changed to a joking one.

"Oh? You clean your bathroom?" Axel punched him lightly on the arm, grinning.

"Hell yes I clean my bathroom. What do you think I am, a slob?"

"Maybe I do, maybe I don't. You'll never know."

"I suppose I have to be satisfied with that answer, for now," Axel said slyly. Roxas blinked quickly, confused.

"Um…" he started to say, but Axel clapped a hand over his mouth, gently.

"Shush. Now…we leave," he said grandly, in an attempted British accent.

"Don't even go there, and get your hand off my mouth," Roxas mumbled, his voice muffled.

"Whatever. Hm, where can you find a nurse these days…?" Axel muttered, and looked around. He got up, and only then took his hand off of Roxas' mouth. The blond blushed, his mind racing with thoughts.

_Why? _He thought to himself, and it was the question that encompassed his entire life right then. He shook his head slowly, and slowly let his head fall back against the pillow. He had shut his eyes for a short moment when a nurse rushed in, saw his closed eyes, and scoffed.

"He hardly looks awake, Mr. Lume. Are you sure you weren't imagining it?" she said, hands on her hips. Axel strolled in, and gaped at Roxas. The blond let a small smirk creep onto his face, but kept his eyes shut.

"He was just..! Roxas, don't smile like that! People don't smile like that unless their dreams are _really _satisfying!" That snapped Roxas' eyes wide open, and now it was Axel's turn to grin.

"Ah, Mr. Luz, it's good to see you awake. Ready to leave this bed yet?" Roxas nodded slowly, sighing. Axel looked at the nurse.

"How quickly can we get him out of here? His girl…_friend_ wants him out of the hospital as soon as possible 'cause she's worried sick about him. Is it possible to get him off his butt and out within the next hour?" The nurse nodded quickly.

"Yes, but the doctor will need to perform one more examination now that you're awake. So, please wait here a moment longer. Dr. Vexen will be here in a second." The nurse nodded and quickly hurried out of the room. Roxas looked at Axel, who shrugged, completely nonchalant.

"We'll be out the door soon, don't you worry," he said, putting his hands back against his head and leaning against the whitewashed walls. Roxas stuck his tongue out at the redhead.

"Who said I was worried?" he mumbled.

"Roxas, it's in your eyes; you don't want to be here a second longer than you have to. Do you have something against hospitals?" Roxas looked away, not meeting Axel's eyes.

"Um, isn't it like midnight or something? It's really dark…" Axel laughed.

"No way! Visiting hours don't go that far! Sheesh, you're really out of it, aren't you, shortie? It's about two in the afternoon." Roxas' eyes widened and he shot a glance at the curtain, and then whipped his head around to stare at Axel.

"B-but outside…It's dark!" Axel laughed again.

"Roxas, to make sure you were as comfortable as possible, they put you in a room with dark curtains so you could sleep comfortably at…Namine's request." Axel grimaced slightly at Namine's name, but Roxas didn't notice.

"Oh really? How…nice…Hm, when will the doctor be here?"

"I am right here, Mr. Luz. Now, we appear to have some issues," a voice said in the doorway. Roxas and Axel both looked at the doorway, and watched as a tall man, with shoulder length, dirty blond hair walked into the room, clipboard clutched in one hand.

"Mr. Lume, I think this is of a private matter with Roxas here, so I request that you leave, if only for a moment." Axel looked at the doctor with a hard stare, determined something of his own, and nodded.

"Of course, sir." He nodded to the doctor, and headed for the doorway. He turned at the last second to wink at Roxas. The blond was taken aback, but focused on what the doctor, Dr. Vexen, was saying. However, he only caught half of what the doctor said.

"….result in some past trauma. Mr. Luz, have you experienced anything like that?"

"…What?"

Vexen let out a tired sigh, and pulled his narrow nose closer to the clipboard. He tsked to himself, and pulled out glasses, with simple metal frames. Slipping them on, he pulled the clipboard away, a grimace on his face.

"How I hate wearing these…" he muttered to himself. Then he looked up at the confused blond, and sighed.

"You have some minor chest problems, but it appears the bigger problem might be psychological. Have you ever fallen unconscious before, Mr. Luz? And was it under a stressful situation? There is no need to come up with a lie, Mr. Luz," the doctor added when he noticed Roxas bite his lip. The blond started and shook his head.

"I won't lie…I-I suppose you can consider that one time a stressful situation…But I could've sworn I was already better. I was only unconscious for a moment…" he started, but quickly trailed off. Vexen's eyebrows rose in sudden curiosity.

"Care to explain, Mr. Luz? You must understand this is only for your…well-being," he said carefully. Roxas shook his head again.

"No. I want to go. I was never _comfortable _in hospitals, doctor. Please, can I just go?" The doctor looked at him with a cold stare, but he forced a short nod and pulled the glasses off of his face. Pocketing them, he glanced at Roxas once more, and left without another word. Roxas sighed. It was a minute or two before Axel walked, or rather, waltzed in again.

"Doc said you could leave, but we have to stop at the front desk. You can walk, right?"

"I don't thi-Axel!" Roxas yelped, when he felt arms reach under the covers of his bed and grab him. Axel put one arm behind the blonde's back, and the other under his legs, just beneath the knees, to support the small blond. Roxas felt the all too familiar blush flaring on his face again, and he shuddered a little. It was a good, almost _great _thing he wasn't wearing one of those hospital gowns, the ones that didn't cover your butt. He'd _die. _

"Axel!" he whispered furiously as the tall redhead stepped out of the room. The redhead glanced down casually and gave the poor blond another one of his sly winks.

"Yeah?"

"Put me _down_! This is _embarrassing_! Everyone will think…" Roxas became a silent, furiously embarrassed blond in Axel's arms, and the redhead laughed.

"Roxas, you give a damn what other people think?" he asked, looking at the blond with a smirk on his face.

"Yes, sometimes. In public places," Roxas muttered.

"And that is where our differences lie. I'm only doing this 'cause I don't want you to get hurt anymore by simply _walking_. Therefore, I am simply taking you to the front desk."

"Couldn't you have gotten a wheelchair or something?"

"Well, that's just not as fun as this~"

"I'm regretting this more and more."

"Regretting what?"

"Agreeing to letting you stay at our apartment. It will be…_disastrous_."

"Doubt it. I'll make your life _fun_." Roxas scoffed.

"I _really _don't need any fun in my life right now. I'm doing just fine."

"You think so, Roxas, because you've allowed yourself to be locked up into this tight little box, where the only person who actually knows a damn thing about you is you. Anyone else is shut out and sent away. Even Namine. Well, now is the time to find the key and unlock that little box that is you, Roxas. And here I am, to do just that."

Roxas was quiet, silently stunned in Axel's arms. The man he'd let into his life was clearly more determined than he thought. He knew something, but Roxas didn't know what. In that moment, he decided he'd figure out what this man was doing, but he would not let it ruin what could be a friendship. He only had a solid week, and maybe an extra if he decided to extend the stay, if the coast remained clear, to learn everything he could.

"Let's just get out of here."

"Yes, sir. Right away, sir."

* * *

><p><strong>w All I can say is that when Axel did that British accent thing it was a lame reference to Curious George. I have a 3 year old brother. And am influenced easily. :U But thank you for reading~ ;) <strong>


	3. Forever Yellow Skies

**Here I am, and with a nice new chapter!~ *sighs* Was it too long of a wait? I'm hopeless at chapter long fictions. But I'm trying, I'm trying! I notice this is one of my more popular fics, and it makes me happy C: Um...Yeah, I just moved back to my old hometown, and it's been really hectic. I'll try getting the next chapter up...eventually. Enjoy~**

* * *

><p><strong>Colored<strong>

By the time they reached his apartment, Roxas was half asleep, and Axel was propping him up with one arm around his shoulder; Roxas would have flinched from the contact, but it was comforting, and he knew if the redhead wasn't helping him, he'd be sprawled across the street, for some reason finding it comfortable and worthy to sleep on. When they reached the apartment, Roxas suddenly felt very awake and he knew something was about to happen. Something big and _very _important.

"Roxas!" The person's voice was strained and tired, but it was full of amazing, sudden relief, it filled the blond with joy as he walked through the door of the apartment. Then he was encircled in a tight hug by thin, scrawny arms. He put his arms around the person, who was none other than Namine, and buried his head in her light blond hair. She sighed happily, and everything felt at least _almost_ right. Then Roxas heard a small cough.

"Excuse me, lovebirds; I have Roxas' stuff in my hands; all the flowers and shit he acquired over the course of two days, in one _big _bag. And after having supported Roxas almost all the way back, I would like to enter the apartment and put it down, thank you very much." Axel barged in, not too rudely, and grinned at the two, specifically Roxas.

"All I can say to you is; get a room." Roxas blushed, and glanced at Namine; he was surprised to see Namine biting her lip, eyes narrowed slightly, which she only did when she was trying not to say anything that she thought was rude. Then she stopped and smiled kindly.

"Sure thing, Axel. Just…put it on the dining room table. I'll figure it out later." The redhead nodded and maneuvered his way around the rather cluttered apartment. Namine was suddenly very serious.

"Roxas. Something happened while you were in the hospital. The first night you were in there." Roxas was immediately on edge, recognizing the tone in her voice.

"What?" Namine looked a little unsure, and her next words made Roxas dizzy.

"Cloud called. Like he _knew _you were in the hospital. He was asking for you. I-I think he found out a-about you. He sounded w-worried. Oh, Roxas, please don't…don't cry!" Roxas had already felt the tears pricking his eyes, but he quickly wiped them away. The room spun a little around him, and he focused on Namine, on making words come out of his mouth.

"It's okay; I'm not going to cry. What did he…say?" He was desperate to know, cursing himself for not being at the phone, and instead being unconscious in a hospital.

"He said he'd call back within two days. He was calling from a pay phone, I'm positive. Some woman's voice was asking for more money for just another minute, and I think he was trying to tell me something, but…it cut off before he could say it." Namine bit her lip, nervously. Roxas gripped her by the shoulders, the need to know bearing down on him. Her eyes widened, but she waited for his question, already knowing what it was.

"What? What did he say before it cut off?"

"'He's in town, your cousin, but he's…' and that's it." Roxas' heart pounded against his chest, and they could've heard a pin drop in that moment's silence. Then Roxas whispered his next question.

"And he's calling back?" Namine nodded quickly

"Yes, he said within two days. But it's been almost two days already, since he called…" Roxas felt suddenly hopeful.

"Then he'll be calling tonight. And I'll answer. But how did he call? We don't have a home phone, just our cell phones…" Roxas tried not to let the hope flutter in his heart at the mention of his cousin, Sora, being back. Namine looked away, unsure.

"He called your cell. He had the number, somehow. I have no idea how he got it, and I didn't feel like it was necessary to ask. He did tell me he was sorry he wasn't there, and to pass the message on as soon as you were better." Namine smiled suddenly. "He didn't _doubt _you would get better. He was positive you would be home soon. And you are." Roxas nodded, unable to speak. Namine leaned in closely to Roxas, to whisper something.

"When he was talking about your cousin he said to check out your aunt's old apartment. He should be there. Cloud sounded _so_ tired, though." Roxas nodded slowly, now letting the hope burn in his heart. Axel suddenly appeared from the dining room, looking curious at the pair.

"Who's Cloud?" he inquired.

"He's my b-" Roxas started, but stopped when Namine quickly interjected.

"It's a personal matter, Axel. Sorry." The small female glanced sideways at Roxas, who slowly nodded. The redhead looked a little disappointed, but he nodded.

"Of course," he said smoothly. With a little grin, he walked up to Roxas, put his hands on the blonde's shoulder and spoke.

"We're all glad that little Roxas is back safely. But now what? I don't know about you, but I could sleep for a couple of days, and I think Namine could, too." He stepped away from the blond to let him consider. Roxas didn't need to think for a second, making up his mind in a split second. He looked once at Axel, and then at Namine.

"Then do that. I'm going out. I need to catch up on what I haven't done for these past few days, and I need to go out for a little," Roxas said, carefully ignoring Axel's comment on his size. Namine spoke up quickly.

"What are you going to do, Roxas?" The blond didn't respond for a second, just going to the closet to grab a coat. He pulled it on quickly, and then he answered Namine.

"To see if a certain someone is in town." She nodded, eyes widening a little as she understood exactly who he was talking about. _Sora_. Axel looked at the two of them, even more curious, but he said absolutely nothing.

"I'll be back before night time, I think. You guys should sleep, since you've been worrying about me this whole time. You deserve it." He was still thinking about Axel's comment about his locked up feelings, and he wasn't going to forget it any time soon.

"Ok," the two said simultaneously. Axel grinned at the coincidence, and Namine sort of frowned, huffing a little angrily. Roxas didn't understand, but he turned toward the door.

"I'll be back," he said.

"Be careful," Namine said.

"Have fun~" Axel shouted behind him. Roxas waved behind to acknowledge he heard them. Then he was out the door, thrust back into the town that was devoid of colors.

* * *

><p>The streets were the same as usual, but there seemed to be an air of tension that floated over Roxas' head, unnerving him as he 'casually' walked downtown. He kept his head down, afraid he'd run into Seifer and his gang, of which he'd done upon first arriving in Twilight Town. It had a bad outcome, resulting in a black eye and a swollen lip. Namine had been terrified for his safety from then on, but he assured her he'd stay out of downtown Twilight Town from then on.<p>

It seemed he had to break that promise right then; this thought occurred to him as he approached a familiar building. It was where he'd lived for about seven years, from the small age of ten to the teenage age of seventeen. They'd planned on leaving Twilight Town, him and Sora, to go to Hollow Bastion, where they could see Cloud more easily. That was when he was sixteen, and Sora, who was older, was on the verge of eighteen. Then Sora had met the solitary man named Riku, who promised adventure if the brunette would be with him along the way.

He'd left Roxas, all alone, still stranded on this stupid world, and that was when Roxas had made the decision to let no one into his life again because they all ended up leaving him. He had only let Namine join him because she just popped into his life and sort of latched on, leaving no room for budging. Axel had done the exact same, actually.

At the moment, however, it didn't matter what he thought of the enigmatic redhead, because he was already at the doorway of the old apartment building he'd been stuffed in so suddenly, with a twelve year old and a tired middle-aged woman, Aerith, who treated him decently. However, the treatment went downhill when Sora left, because she blamed Roxas in part, and that was about when Roxas decided to leave, only one month later, and find Cloud on his own. He dropped out of school to do it, and he really didn't regret it.

He pondered the whole mess that was his life up to that point as he stood in front of the gate. From what Namine had said, Sora was back in town, and he was here. It was possible Aerith was still in town, and his cousin was staying with her, but Roxas had also heard rumors that anyone related to any of those in the rebellion, even if they were unassociated with it, had been taken away to Hollow Bastion. He didn't wish that upon his aunt, but he was also kind of secretly glad she might not be there.

Who, he suddenly wondered, would open the gate for him, though? He peered closer at the buttons and the faded names by them. All were meaningless to him, and the one that was second-to-last from the bottom, once so familiar to him, had a new name on it, bright and new looking.

He turned his back on it, and he thought very quickly. Would Sora really have taken refuge in his old apartment, or would he have hidden somewhere less obvious? The people working for DiZ had all of Roxas' old life information, so they knew _exactly _where and how long Roxas had lived somewhere. Would it be better to hide somewhere so obvious? No. Nowhere was safe anymore.

Then his eyes lighted on the second-to-last one again, eyes widening. _Vancouver_. It was the last name of Riku, if Roxas recalled correctly. He felt a sinking in his stomach; the silver haired man was here as well?

Without warning, the gate suddenly opened, and Roxas stumbled backwards as he heard the squeak of un-oiled hinges. He heard a deep sigh, the gates slammed, and someone walked right into him. He'd only stepped back a few paces, but the person had obviously not been looking. They collided with a soft grunt and Roxas saw familiar brown hair, and blue eyes peeking from underneath the brown strands, and his heart skipped a beat.

"Sora!"

"Huh…?" The person, who Roxas definitely recognized as his cousin, if only a couple of years older, and looking thin and underfed, looked up, and his eyes widened.

"Roxas…?"

It was definitely his cousin. Without thinking very hard, Roxas pulled his long lost cousin into a tight hug, and winced as he felt how skinny Sora really was. The older male hesitated in the embrace, but he brought his hands up to hug Roxas back.

Then Roxas got embarrassed at the sudden closeness, and Sora did as well, apparently, and they pulled away quickly. While the blond searched for something to say, or at least tried finding his tongue, Sora looked beyond nervous; he looked terrified. Then Roxas found something to say and he broke the awkward silence.

"I have to ask; where have you _been_, Sora?" His cousin shuffled his feet nervously, putting his hands behind his head in a see-through attempt to look casual. Roxas' eyes narrowed slightly, and he waited for the reply. It came slowly.

"Oh, you know…around." Roxas couldn't help it; he started yelling, and even though he noticed Sora shrink back, cringing, he didn't stop. It was someone to yell at, someone who could understand how _alone _he'd been, if only marginally, because they were the cause for it.

"Around! Is that _all _you can think of? Is that your…your _pitiful excuse_ for running off with Riku? Was that _bastard _so _amazing _that you could just leave your mom behind? Leave me? Damn it, Sora, I was fucking out of my _mind_, thinking about you and hoping you were not dead somewhere! You _knew _DiZ was prowling after our family, because of Cloud! Your cousin, and my asshole brother, who _also _ran off with some guy to prance around in Hollow Bastion! Do you think he would have let you go if he found you? Do you? I don't _think so_. I seriously _doubt _you even gave a second thought about just leaving. Am I right? Tell me if I'm right, Sora. Just tell me. I want to fucking _know_."

Roxas finally stopped yelling, his breathing now short and shallow. He had thrown his arms outwards at Sora while he'd been ranting at his cousin, but they just hung limply at his sides now, and the blond looked like he was dead tired of looking at his cousin; he turned around sideways, slowing his breathing and sideways glaring at Sora, who finally came up with a response.

"You don't understand, Roxas. You just _don't_," he said slowly, looking unsure. Roxas scoffed and crossed his arms, tight against his chest.

"Really, 'I don't understand'? That's all you can come up with? Okay then, inform me, Sora, about the situation that was so dire for you to leave without a single note. I hope you know Aerith was _devastated_," Roxas said coldly, and watched with eerie satisfaction as the brunette winced at the mention of his mother.

"I got a message, from Cloud, when you were still in high school," Sora said uncertainly. Roxas' heart lurched but he managed to say something, managing to keep his words cold and emotionless, spitting them out at the brunette.

"Oh really? How did you get this so called 'message'? Was it by text, perchance? Maybe he called you? Oh, I know, did he come to you in person? Maybe he sent it by code." Sora glared at Roxas, his eyes narrowing as well.

"Stop being such an ass, Roxas. You know he wouldn't have sent me such a direct message, even back then. It was just an envelope with a slip of paper that said he needed my assistance, in Port Royal. He didn't even put a return address on it, and it was only addressed to me. I can't believe you didn't notice me receive the letter that day. I mean, _Riku _was the guy who gave it to me. You were _with me_." The blond struggled to remember one of the days that led up to when Sora left. He vaguely remembered the letter, but Sora disappearing had impacted him more, and other memories around it had been discarded. He bit his lip, and Sora, thinking he'd forgotten about the letter, laughed.

"See? You can't even remember. You're practically still a kid." Roxas started at that, and his head jolted upwards, and he practically snarled the next words at his cousin.

"Shut up, Sora! You always thought of me as a kid! Well, guess what? I'm not a child anymore, so don't act like I'm one either. I'm not an _ignorant _child, either. Maybe once a long time ago I was, but no longer." Sora suddenly, unexpectedly, grinned; it spread across his face and Roxas couldn't help feeling like wiping it right off of his smug face somehow.

"Maybe you have grown up, then. Do you want to come up to my apartment? I think it would be safer up there…" Sora looked at Roxas excitedly, his demeanor changing suddenly; he was smiling, and he looked a little more relaxed.

"Is Riku there?" Roxas asked suspiciously; he was still tense, and upset. Sora bit his lip, nodding slowly. He pushed his hands through his hair, not looking directly at Roxas.

"Well, yeah. But, before we go up there, if we do, I want you to know there's nothing between us. Never has been." Roxas blinked, surprised.

"But I thought…" he said, trailing off weakly. Sora nodded, his cheeks turning a little red, and he looked embarrassed again.

"Yeah, well, that's what Riku thought too." Roxas felt his mouth drop open slightly, absolutely speechless, but he didn't really notice until he saw Sora looking at him strangely; with a small, sheepish grin, he clamped it shut and asked another question.

"So you're just friends…?" Sora looked off to one side, biting his lip again.

"Yeah, something like that. There was something a year ago, when I…left. But it just…didn't work out for me. I didn't want my feelings to get in the way, I guess. And Riku just didn't reciprocate the feelings, after a while." Sora looked ready to cry, and Roxas shuffled his feet a little on the ground, almost ashamed at witnessing this rare moment of Sora showing weakness.

"Oh," he said softly. It was the only thing he could think of to say and it occurred to him that it was the stupidest thing he could say. He obviously wasn't one to comfort his cousin, though, and he just stood there awkwardly, waiting for Sora to say something.

"Uh-huh, that's pretty much it. So, you still want to come up? I can tell you more stuff up there." Roxas looked up at the building, feeling an overwhelming sense of nostalgia.

"Weren't you going out for something? I mean, you were leaving the building…" Roxas said, and Sora nodded, suddenly smiling.

"Oh, it can wait. It was nothing major. Just some grocery shopping, really."

"Okay. I guess I'll go in with you then." Roxas didn't believe his cousin for a second, but he figured he might get more out of Sora if he went with him to the apartment, where he couldn't easily leave.

"Cool." Sora turned back to the gate, noticed it had shut behind him, and pressed the button with the new name, _Vancouver_. An almost familiar issued from the speaker, and Sora leaned in a little, still smiling.

'_Yes?' _

"Riku, it's me. Sora. Open the gate."

'_I thought you were out, about to go find y-' _Sora interrupted Riku suddenly.

"Yeah, but then I ran into someone, and he and I need to come up to the room, Riku. Now." Riku mumbled something, and it came through the speaker as crackling and static. Then he spoke, in a clearer voice.

'_Right. C'mon up.' _The gate buzzed and pulled open a little. Sora grabbed it and half turned to look at Roxas. He invited him in through the gate with a small wave of his hand, and Roxas followed cautiously.

"How long have you been here?" Roxas asked while they were walking up the stairs. _All the way at the top, _Roxas thought to himself, feeling like he was being walled in.

"What, in Twilight Town? Oh, I've been here about a week. Watching the news lately, trying to figure out where you were. Cloud wasn't being very specific. But then I saw the lead you left them in Port Royal, and I knew. It couldn't have been more obvious."

"Excuse me? What was so 'obvious'?" Roxas asked indignantly.

"That it was just a fake lead for the officers. Even I figured that out. C'mon, Roxas, if the police were really into catching you, they would have known that you visited Port Royal just before you left Twilight Town, and it was the first thing that came into mind for you. And the fact that there's easy access to it for anyone in Twilight Town means it allowed you to come here, thinking that they wouldn't look for you in a place so _obvious_." Roxas bristled, glaring at his cousin's back.

"Well, maybe it was the first thing I could think of. I've never _been on the run before_, Sora. I hope you've kept that in mind," he said, spitting out the words. Sora laughed.

"You couldn't make that fact any more clear, Roxas. But it's okay. I left them another lead in Hollow Bastion. They think you're looking for Cloud. Like any young teen male would do, worried about they're older brother. Jumping right into the middle of things. Sounds like you, right? That's what the police think, too."

"_What_?"

"Hey, Cloud's not the only one looking out for you. I've got my eye on you, okay? Stick with me, and I'll get into contact with Cloud within a week. It's not difficult, really; I've got connections."

"But he's…" Roxas started, but trailed off awkwardly, about to say Cloud was going to call him. For some reason, he thought it would be better to withhold the information from Sora.

"What? Cloud's what?" Sora said, stopping with one foot above the next step. Putting it down next to his other, he half turned to look at Roxas, his eyes watching him with intensity. Roxas looked down at the cement steps, unsure.

"Nothing. I just don't think contacting Cloud right now is good. He's probably doing…more important things." His voice broke at just the right moment, and he almost smiled at it. Sora considered for a second, and nodded.

"Sounds accurate. But, if you consider going through with contacting him, I'll do it. That's a promise." Sora smiled at Roxas, but the blond was shaking his head slowly. He looked up at his cousin, his eyes narrowed.

"I won't hold you up on any of your promises, Sora. I have no reason to trust you right now. Just take me to your room so we can talk in more privacy." Sora looked temporarily startled, but then he nodded briskly and they continued trekking up the steps, now in complete silence.

Their persistent silence continued up to the door of Sora's apartment room, and Roxas' old home. He felt a small twinge, but he ignored it. Nothing but an old room and bad memories. He just had to get in, get the information from Sora, and leave. He was still suspicious of his cousin, but trying hard not to show it. Sora opened the door with a flourish, and he grinned at Roxas.

"Still looks the same more or less, right?" he asked as they walked in. Roxas nodded slowly; most of the furniture was still in the room, and he saw the door to the room where he and Sora had shared, slightly ajar. Out of it walked a silver haired man, who was holding a phone and arguing into it; he didn't notice Sora and Roxas standing there.

"No, everything's going fine, okay? We're here in Twilight Town because we knew that he'd…" Sora yelled at him before he could continue.

"Riku! We're here. Get off the phone." He glanced at Roxas, with something like nervousness obvious on his face. The blond looked away, his suspicions growing.

"Wha…? Oh, I have to go. _He's _here. I'll call you in a second, okay? Don't fret." With a small smirk, Riku hung up the phone, pocketed it, and looked at the two in the doorway. His eyes widened when his gaze fell on Roxas, but then he looked back at Sora.

"Well, then. You're Roxas?" he asked.

"…"

"Something wrong? Sheesh, Sora, is he mute?"

"He's a teen, Riku. It's natural for him to be suspicious of you. I mean, you look like you're going to kill him," Sora said, a good-natured grin on his face. Riku scoffed, and waved the cell phone in the air.

"Whatever. I have to return the call to you-know-who, so I'll be out in a little." Sora nodded.

"Okay, sure. We'll be here."

"Wait," Roxas mumbled; both Sora and Riku turned at once, looking at him.

"I-I think I should go. I can't stay here. I shouldn't have even come here; it's too risky. Sora, I'm sure you know how find me, so…I-I'll be around." Without another word, Roxas turned around and was out of the door before either of the other males could say anything.

"Roxas, no!" Sora yelled, racing after Roxas.

But the blond was already running down the stairs, not daring to look back. He ignored Sora's, and then Riku's calls, sounding desperate for him to come back. He jumped off of the third-to-last step, hitting the ground forcefully and sending staggering pain up his ankles. He winced but kept running.

He was grateful that the gate was still slightly ajar, and he pulled it open, not even pausing as he heard it slam against the wall, metal clanging. He slowed down a little when he skidded on a corner, and finally halted when he turned into an alleyway. He crouched slightly, breathing heavily. Putting a hand up to his chest, he felt his heart beat, quick and pounding.

Suddenly his phone vibrated in his pocket. With a sigh, he pulled it out of his pocket, momentarily having forgotten about Cloud. His eyes widened when he saw that it wasn't Namine calling, like he'd thought, but a restricted number.

_Cloud_, he thought, and then he flipped the phone open, pushing it almost frantically against his ear.

"H-hello?" The response was immediate, interrupted by some static, but Roxas recognized the voice, one that was so familiar to him, he could recognize it from a hundred. What was said, however, only sent a chill running up his spine, and bit his lip.

"Just because I said Sora was back in town doesn't mean you could trust him, Roxas."

"Cloud? Is that really you?" whispered Roxas. He felt the tears already pricking at his eyes, but he ignored them.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry, Roxas, for everything."

"I-I…Are you okay?"

"I guess, for now. Better question is; are _you _okay? I can fend for myself, but what about you? You've been running away for a while now, huh? I knew it would happen, eventually. Anyways, I heard you got yourself a girlfriend. She sounds nice, at least from what I heard a couple nights ago." Roxas could hear the smirk in his brother's voice, and he gulped.

"She's not my girlfriend," he said, ignoring Cloud's first question.

"Okay, fine then. Anyways, I don't have a lot of time, and I need to tell you this; I've been out of town for a while, and I've figured out something. You can't trust anyone. I mean, the only people I really trust are Leon and you. That's it."

"Wh-what? You're still with Leon?" Cloud laughed, or was it a scoff? Roxas couldn't tell. He frowned at the phone anyways.

"Of course. He's my right-hand man." Roxas' frown widened, and even though he knew Cloud couldn't see, he put his anger into his voice.

"'_Of course_.' Well, I hope you two are happy, because I've been working my ass off to find you, and the only important thing is you two are _still together._"

"Roxas…"

"What? I can't go off on you like I did to Sora, because you don't want to hear about what you did? Is that it?" Cloud gasped into the phone, and his voice became urgent.

"Did you see Sora, _today_, Roxas? _Tell me_."

"Yeah, I actually went looking for him."

"Roxas, you _really _can't trust Sora. His entire reason for coming back to Twilight Town was to find you. I can't tell you any more details, but I need you to stay away from him. It would be better if you left Twilight Town, as soon as possible."

"What? Cloud, why? What is Sora do-"

_Please insert two dollars for another two minutes_, a voice said, cutting Roxas off.

"I don't have two dollars. I'm sorry, I'll contact you soon, Ro-" Cloud said, and then the call ended. Roxas stared at the phone for a second, dumbstruck.

_Trust no one_. _Does that mean Axel and Namine as well? Especially Axel?_

* * *

><p><strong>'Til next time~ :) <strong>_  
><em>


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